Consequences of Change
by Flame Soldier
Summary: Not everyone is happy with the way Phoenix has changed. Phoenix/Franziska


**Consequences of Change  
**

**A/N I don't own Ace Attorney. This is Phoenix/Franziska, so if you don't like that pairing, don't read it. Also, Apollo Justice spoilers. This is my first attempt at this pairing, so here we go...**

It was quiet at the Wright Everything Agency. Peacefully so. Trucy and Apollo were out working on a case, leaving Phoenix to spend the day relaxing on his own... Or that's what he thought before he heard a familiar voice...

"PHOENIX WRIGHT!" Someone burst into the room. "Phoenix Wright, you foolish fool of a fool!"

Phoenix blinked. "Franziska?" He hadn't seen Franziska von Karma for years, and she suddenly just bursts into his office? She looked exactly the same, from the way she dressed, to the whip she held in her hands. She put her purse down upon a pile of junk and she took a moment to survey the place with disgust before beginning to speak.

"I come back from Germany, and I hear you've been disbarred? Not only that, but from forged evidence!" Her eyes narrowed as she snapped her whip in the air. "You fool!" She began whipping him. "You foolish, foolish fool! How could you?"

He winced, but didn't flinch from her blows. He stood completely still as she finished. When she finished, he calmly explained what had happened.

She stared at him intently throught the whole story, occasionally muttering something under her breath. Phoenix was certain he heard the word 'fool' more than once. "So then you can become a lawyer again?"To his surprise she sounded hopeful.

"I could," he replied. "But I'm not going to."

Her eyes widened, at first he thought it was surprise, be he learned otherwise as she began whipping him furiously. "You foolish fool of a fool! I come back from Germany to see you, and this is what I find? Your office is in disarray! You look like some sort of homeless person! You fool! How could you let yourself fall into such a state? Now you have a chance to redeem yourself and you're not even going to take it?"

"Ow... Franziska, stop it!" To his surprise, she stopped, but that didn't stop him from going on to say what he had to say next. "Did you come here just to yell at me? To call me a fool and to cause me pain, is that it? Because if it is, you can leave right now. Nothing you can say can make me go back to being a lawyer. Why do you even care? Is it because now you'll never be able to beat me in court, is that it?" His gaze was stern."Well if it is, you can leave!"

"No, that's not it! Phoenix Wright, I..." Her eyes were wide and her hand went for her purse. "Fine! I'll leave then! You... You fool!" In her haste, she ended up hitting the pile with her arm, causing it and her purse to tumble onto the floor. Its contents were scattered across the floor, and she nelt down hastily to pick them up.

Phoenix knelt down to help her, feeling a bit guilty. His hand froze over one of the items that had fallen from her purse. "What's this?"

"Don't touch that!" Franziska commanded, but by then he had already picked it up in his hand.

"This is... me?" He held the card close to his face, examining it. Someone had made his face out of a shell, pointy hair and all. He stared at it a moment befor espeaking. "This is Maya's picture, isn't it? After all these years... You kept it?"

She turned her face away from him, not saying a word. Gently, Phoenix put a hand on the side of her face and turned her head toward him. "Franziska..." Her eyes were watering. "Franziska... Why did you come here?"

She didn't answer for a few moments, but finally, she spoke. "I wanted to find out why. The Phoenix Wright I knew would never do something like that. The Phoenix Wright I knew would never give up on being an attorney! He was the one who taught me what was really important; the truth! He and Miles Edgeworth taught me what it really meant to be a prosecutor. Why, Phoenix Wright? Why would you change? How could you? I..." She trailed off for a moment. "I looked up to you, Phoenix Wright! More than that, I..." She trailed off again. "But I guess that doesn't matter now, does it?" She snatched the card from his hand. After staring at it for a moment, she threw it to the ground and turned to leave.

Phoenix grabbed her arm. "Franziska..." He stared at her, not knowing what to say. He hadn't seen her in over seven years, why was she so upset with what he had become? She turned toward him, leaving only a few inches between them.

"Phoenix Wright... Why?"

"Have I really changed all that much?" he asked quietly.

She put her hand on the side of his face, bringing his attention to his unshaven stubble. She let out a sigh, her warm breath making his face flush slightly. "If... If I hadn't seen the name Wright on the door, I wouldn't have believed it was you."

"Why... Why do you care so much?"

Franziska pulled her arm free from his grasp. "I thought you were better at making deductions than that, Phoenix Wright. Perhaps it was foolish for me to come here."

Phoenix watched as she began walking away again. This time he followed after her. "Franziska, wait."

She stopped in her tracks and turned toward him once again. A tear or two had began trailing their way down her face, and her gaze dropped to the floor, as if she were ashamed.

He stopped himself just in time to avoid running into her. He gently lifted her head with his thumb and index finger so she wasn't staring at the floor. Their eyes met, and neither of them spoke. Finally, Phoenix broke the silence. "Don't think I only changed in a bad way... There's one way I changed for the better."

"And what way would that be, Phoenix Wright?" Franziska asked.

"I finally have the courage to do this."

Leaning in, Phoenix kissed her tenderly on the lips.

**A/N So, I hope that wasn't too bad. This is the first time I used either of the characters for more than a few lines. I hope I got their characterization right. :D**


End file.
